Fishing World concluded its On The Sauce East Coast Tour last weekend with events on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
The Tour visited four locations: Sydney, Milton (NSW South Coast, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast (Caloundra).
What was it about? The idea was to bring to life our popular On The Sauce podcast for a hands-on experience. Host, Zac Panaretos, invited some of Australia’s best chefs, fish butchers and fishos for a unique workshop that explored sustainable seafood options, post-catch skills, fish care, cutting, cooking and more.
Each location had its own unique experience while sharing a common theme. It’s about building a community of fishos who are willing to go the extra mile, to respect the fish we catch, and to ensure a sustainable fishery for the next generation.
Kicking off at the Sydney Game Fishing Club in Watsons Bay, Zac Panaretos demonstrated post-catch skills on a 70kg southern bluefin tuna with step-by-step instructions on Iki Jime, Shinkei Jime, bleeding and icing fish for maximising taste and yield.
Meanwhile, chef Mark Labrooy cooked kingfish wings and a delicious ceviche. Chef Bosley McGee, and expert fish butcher, demonstrated some impressive fish cutting techniques on the tuna. We also covered fish canning and much more.
To finish the day, guests were treated with a delicious meal of smoked blue mackerel (slimy mackerel) Wakame Salad from SouEast Seafoods and created by Bosley McGee. This same dish was served at each even across our Tour and was well received! Serving up “bait” sure did surprise a few guests and was part of the overall theme of this Tour, to educate fishos on alternative species, maximising yield and taste, while minimising waste.
A few hours South and our next stop was Milton, just outside Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast. The Milton Hotel and Dangerous Ales were our host for this event. Owner and chef, Damien Martin, not only hosted us at this event, he gave a presentation about minimising waste by cooking up a tuna head over fire and serving up some unforgettable treats for our guests.
Damien also served up some tuna sashimi, showing guests the difference in appearance and taste between various parts of the fish. Bosley was back for the Milton event and on the tools, showing the crowd how to make the most from a tuna with minimal waste. Zac also demonstrated effective post-catch techniques on the tuna before Bosley commenced cutting.
The next leg of our Tour was Queensland and the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club. The committee at the Game Fishing Club welcomed us and provided a fantastic venue for this event. Zac was joined by Nick Pearce and chef Aaron Teece. Together, the team showed guests how to catch, prepare and cook a number of species with minimal waste and maximum taste.
We were lucky to sample a pompano – otherwise known as permit – from a newly developed aquaculture project on Bribie Island. The project hopes to use this sustainable farmed fish as a replacement for kingfish. Thanks also to Miami Seafood Market on the Gold Coast for providing the pompano and a few other species, plus a few dozen oysters, for the guests at the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club.
Nick Pearce whipped up some kingfish in puffed rice paper with black vinegar and chilli oil. He also made some simple gyoza from a fresh snapper. These recipes were from Nick’s brand new cookbook, Recipearce – On The Road. Nick even brought along some advanced copies to sell at the events. Meanwhile, acclaimed chef, Aaron Teece was on the tools cutting fish and showing guests how to get the most from their catch.
The following day we drove north to Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. This was our biggest show on the Tour and we were lucky to be hosted by the Caloundra Power Boat Club.
Zac and Nick took care of our Caloundra event and presented to a mix of fishos and foodies. Everyone got a taste of sashimi kingfish and pompano, dumplings and our delicious smoked mackerel Wakame Salad. Everyone walked away with full stomachs and were armed with the knowledge for catching, dispatching and cooking their own sustainable seafood meals.
All events concluded with a big prize pool giveaway supplied by our long list of sponsors. Most guests walked away with a prize, plus a gift bag with some items such as an Icey Tek freezer block, some hooks or Gamakatsu lures and discount vouchers for Pacfood.
Overall, the On The Sauce East Coast Tour was a huge success. It was much more than a “catch & cook” class. It was about building a community of like-minded fishos, those who care for the sustainability of our fish stocks, and are willing to make personal changes to make it happen.
The Tour wouldn’t have happened without our generous sponsors! Thanks to the following for the support in making this happen: Icey Tek, Pacfood, Caloundra Power Boat Club, Dangerous Ales and The Milton Hotel, Hookem Fishing, Stratus Outdoors, Miami Seafood Market, Gamakatsu, Wuben, SouEast Seafoods, By Hol & Joe, Sydney Game Fishing Club and the Gold Coast Game Fishing Club, Deep Southern, Grampions Olive Oil, Aussie Mushroom Supplies and Sterling – Black Panther.
And finally, a big thanks to the team who made it happen! Our host, Zac Panararetos, our film guy (and talented dumpling cook) Kobe Blannin, Bosley McGee, Mark Labrooy, Damien Martin, Nick Pearce and Aaron Teece.
Stay tuned for announcements about next year’s events!
